Method of and apparatus for rolling glass sheets



' April 21, 1931. N. POND METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR ROLLING GLASS SHEETS Filed July 25, 1929 LeanderN l ond X; Q

Patented Apr. 21, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PORA'I'ION,

ASSIGNOR T0 BLUE RIDGE GLASS COR- A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR ROLLING GLASS SHEETS Application filed July 25,

Difficulties are experienced in the manufacture of sheet glass by intermittent forming machines, arising from warping or distortion of the upper roller. In certain machines of the kind specified glass is poured from a ladle or pot to a point adjacent to the forming pass between upper and lower rolls, and contacting with the upper roll on the way to the pass heats that side of the roll with which it first contacts to a greater extent than it does the other side of the roll, with the result that the roll distorts, becoming convex on the heated side and concave on the side opposite thereto. This results in the production of sheets of glass having unequal thicknesses at different points.

I propose to overcome this difiiculty giving to the roll prior to the formation the sheet and to the feeding of the glass thereto, an initial distortion, opposite and substantially equal to the distortion caused by the hot glass, and for this purpose have devised the instrumentalities hereinafter described and shown.

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which corresponding parts are designated by corresponding marks of reference,

Figure l is a vertical section through a wire glass forming machine embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a. side elevation thereof.

In the drawings two sheet forming machines are described as consisting of an upper and lower forming roll A and B, respectively, with a forming pass G between them and a receivin table D adjacent to the forming pass, on w ich glass is poured and from which it is fed through the pass in the form of a sheet E. The two sheets as shown are ed on opposite sides of a wire trellis E, and thereafter with the trellis pass betweenconsolidating rolls FF.

With such a machine it has been found that y of the warping of the upper roll A under the heating effect of the initial contact of glass tends to produce sheets E of unequal thickness and that when the thick portion of such sheets pass between the consolidating rolls F-F they can not be compressed sufliciently to maize a tight joint with the wire netting.

1929. Serial No. 380,947.

Such thick portions are objectionable even if wire glass is not to be made from the sheet as tending to imperfections of surface and increasing the cost of grinding.

As a means of avoiding these objections I propose to provide means for cooling one portion of the roll subject to distortion to a greater extent than the other portions thereof, and to thus set up an initial, limited and predetermined distortion. This may be accomplished by temporarily arresting the r0- tation of the rolls as may be done by disengaging the clutch G in the driving train of the roll and circulating through the roll, which is hollow, a cooling fluid which acts more vigorously on the lower portion of the roll than on other portions. Such circulation may be caused by water induction and eduction pipes H and I. Under ordinary conditions it will be found that due to a creation of a pocket of air or steam in the top of the roll the cooling effect is greatest at the bottom thereof. I also provide a center indicator K of any approved construction to indicate the warp of the roll and the position of the eccentricity of the warp.

With a device so constructed the upper roll is arrested in its rotation either by stopping the machine or throwing out the clutch G until a desired or predetermined warp has been given to the roll by cooling it. This may be that known to result from a stoppage for a given interval. The roll is then set in motion and at a time indicated by the center indicator glass is poured on the table D, the time of pouring being so'selected that the glass will first contact with the cooler portions of the periphery of the roll with the result that the heat imparted to such portions of the roll by the molten glass neutralizes the initial warping. The upper roll with the lower forming member will then make a pass having parallel surfaces.

aving thus described my invention what I claim is 1. The hereinbefore described process of forming sheet glass at a forming pass which comprises the arresting of the rotation of a roll forming one wall of the pass, and while arrested unequally cooling the same to give an initial warp to the roll, putting the roll in rotation and feeding glass to the pass at such time that it will contact first with the cooler portion of the roll.

2. The heretofore described process of forming sheet glass, which comprises giving to a roller which co-operates in forming the sheet of glass an initial warp and thereafter causing that portion of the roller which has the initial concave warp to come in contact first with the molten glass.

3. In a sheet glass forming apparatus the combination with a pair of sheet forming rolls, means for arresting the rotation of at least one of the rolls, means for giving an initial warp to the said roll while stopped and means for indicating the extent and position of the warp.

4. In a sheet glass forming apparatus the combination with a pair of rolls, means for arresting the rotation of at least one of the rolls, means for feeding cooling fluid through the said roll, and means for indicating the extent and position of the warp of the roll produced by the said cooling fluid.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

LEANDER N. POND. 

